stone



(No Model.)

H. W. .VENT BUNG No' INVENTOR Y p Tlf-M min/"Num UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

HARRY W. STONE, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BREWERS METALLIC BUNG COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

VENT-BU NG.

SPECIEICATION`formng part of Letters Patent No. 511,102, dated December 19, 1898.

implication filed August 7, 1893.

Serial No. 48?,5l4. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY W. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Ventl3ungs,of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as 'will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a hand-operated vent-bung that is applied to a vessel or barrel for the purpose of temporarily placing the in terior thereof in communication with the external air, when desired. For instance, when ale is stored in a barrelt often becomes necessary to let off the gas from the barrel in order to still the liquid, as it is called. An ordinary expedient for effecting this, where the usual wooden bung is employed, is to bore a hole through the bung to let the necessary amount of gas escape, and then plug up the 2 5 hole. By myinvention I provide an eiiicient and durable vent-bung that may be readily opened and closed by hand and which forms practically a permanent fixture to the barrel or vessel.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1, is a view in section on a central vertical plane indicated by line 11, Fig. 3, and showing the vent closed. Fig. 2, is a similar view to that shown in Fig. 1 with the bush omitted and the valve or vent shown in open position. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the device with the bush omitted. Fig. 4, is an underside view with the bush, the valve or vent and its stop being omitted. Fig. 5, is a view of a central vertical section, the plane of which is indicated by line 5-45, Fig. 4,snch plane lying at right angles to the plane of the sections in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. In this View as in Fig. 4, the bushthe valve and the valve stop are omitted. Fig. 6,is a side view of the valve or vent detached.

Referring to the drawings 1n which Alike numbers of reference designate like parts c throughout, '7 represents a metallic bush or threaded ring which is adapted to be inserted in the usual way through the bung stave of the barrel or vessel so as to form a tight-joint therewith. Within the bush is arranged the ventor valve casing S, which is removably insorted therein by means of a screw-thread, thoughany other character ot joint may be used for such purpose. A washer 9, is interposed at a suitable point between the casing and the bush'in order to make the joint there 6o between liquid and air tight. The outer face of this casing is provided with a set of holes 4:3, in which a suitable wrench is inserted to turn the 'casing in setting it in the bush or removing it therefrom, see Fig. 3. The casing 8, is tubular and the interior thereof is formed with an annular valve-seat 3l, which is intermediate with respect to the upper and lower ends of the casing. Above the valve seat there is formed an internal screw-thread 7o 29, for receiving the vertically -adjustable threaded stem 27, of the valve 26, both the stem and the valve being circular in horizontal section. This valve is arranged beneath the annular valve-seat and closes upwardly thereon. A series of air-ducts or grooves 32, 32, extends from the valve-seat 31, upwardly to the exterior of the casing so as to communicate with the outer air and these ducts are preferably out through the screw-thread 29, So as shown. The end of the valve-stem 27, is formed with a suitable socket 28, for receiving the end of a key or rod by means of which the valve-stem is turned to lower or raise it on its threaded bearing. As t-he valve-stem is turned down the valve is lowered and moving away from the valve-seat it opens the air-ducts which lead to that point, thereby allowing the external air to be admitted past the valve. The reverse and upward movement of the 9o Valve-stem will close the valve. In the construction shown the tubular casing 8, is formed with two internal diameters, the upper one being reduced as compared with the lower. This diderence in diameters forms upon the interior of the casing an annular shoulder which conveniently constitutes the valve-seat 31, and I preferably provide the interior of the reduced diameter with a screw-thread from thevalve-seat up. This simplifies the con- 10o struction and the air-ducts may be conveniently formed in this reduced diameter, by

` stopin place or dismounting it.

cutting vertical grooves in its walls across the threads in the manner shown. The downward movement of this valve is checked by means of a suitable stop 11, which is shown as consisting in a solid cylindrical plug having an external screw-thread which takes into an internal thread 44, formed upon the interior of the lower part of the casing and which extends only part way up the same, so as to limit the distance that the stop may be screwed in. The lower end of this cylindrical stop or plug is formed with an angular head or boss 4l, for receiving a wrench when screwing the Suitable airducts are formed around this stop by cutting away the internal screw-threads of the casing in the form of vertical grooves, 40, 40. This same purpose maybe effected by forming the grooves in the side of the stop instead of in the wall of the casing, the object in either case being to secure a passage for the air from the valve to the interior of the barrel. If preferred the air-passage from the valve to the interior of the barrel may be formed by perforating the stop 11, in a suitable manner and this would'have the advantage of avoiding the cutting away of the screw-threads of the oasing or those of the stop itself and for this reason the latter construction would be a good one. It is, therefore obvious that the characi ter of the stop is immaterial so long as it serves to limit the downward movement of the valve to such a prescribed range, as to prevent the valve-stein from disengagement with screwthreads 29, and thereby rendering it impossible to dislodge the valve by careless manipulation on part of the user.

l-Iavingvthus described my invention, what I claim is- In a vent-bung, the combination of a tubularcasing formed with two internal diameters that at the upper end being less than that at the lower end whereby an internal annular shoulder is formed constituting a valve-seat, the interior of said casing above said valveseat being formed with a screw-thread and provided with air-ducts or grooves extending from said valve-seat to the exterior of said casing at the upper end, a hand operated valve arranged beneath said annular valve-seat and closing said air-ducts or grooves, said valve provided with a screw-threaded stem projecting above the valve-seat and taking into the internal screw-thread of the casing and a stop for checking the downward movement of the valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 4th day of August, 1893, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses. A HARRY W. STONE. Vitnesses:

F. W. RANDALL, WILLIS FowLER. 

